May 14, 2008

Peace and many blessings. I hope your day is going well. Yesterday on my way out to the aluminum can recycling place, I saw a small tree FULL of white blossoms! It was beautiful. The lilac bushes have buds on them. And tulips are blooming in many places.

Tomorrow, May 15, is the Feast of St. Isidore, the farmer (1070-1130). After our 11 a.m. Mass we will gather on the east side of the convent and bless the gardens and fields. St. Isidore has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. He married Maria de la Cabeza. She also is a saint. He communicated with God as he walked behind the plow.

As the story goes, the angels plowed his fields when he went to Mass. Let us pray for all farmers and growers of food, that they have a good growing season and that the people of the world have sufficient food.

To this time, I have not seen a lot of farmers out planting in the fields. But they are getting started. We’ve had about 1 ½ inches or rain the past week or so. But no snow in May!

Last evening I sat in on part of the program put on by the Emblom-Brenny Funeral Home. The two short talks I heard were very informative. One was about scams, junk mail and identity theft, etc. It distresses me that the elderly as so often picked on for scams and identity theft. Don’t give personal information to anybody over the phone or on the computer. Bobby Bad Guy is out to get your money. They also mentioned to be careful in use of your credit and debit cards. Be careful what you put in your garbage bag at the end of your driveway. There’s lots of personal information on all that junk mail that gives Bobby Bad Guy what he needs to go after your bank account. Steve Emblom said that after he heard this talk a year or so ago, they went out and purchased a paper shredder.

Speaking of Emblom-Brenny, they are building a new funeral chapel across the road from the Motherhouse. It is coming right along. In a day or two the roof will be going on. We saw a picture of what the place will look like when it is completed. It will be beautiful…and it will have a big parking lot!

Tomorrow night, 23 little dancers from St. Francis Music Center will be having their spring recital. The little girls are so cute all dressed up in their frilly dresses and one little boy is a dancer, too. And they are so serious about what they are doing.

On Sunday, some of us will be joining the Crosier Brothers and Priests at Onamia, MN as they celebrate jubilees for some of their members. Father Ray Steffes is one of those celebrating. The Crosier Priests come to celebrate Mass at the Motherhouse every Friday. We are grateful to have such wonderful Crosiers serving us. They are our brothers.

Another event at 7 p.m. on Sunday is the concert by the St. Francis Community Chorale in Sacred Heart Chapel at the Motherhouse. This group was just organized this past January. They like to sing and practice every week. I am looking forward to beautiful music.

Enjoy the lovely spring days.
Pax et Bonum
Sister Mary Lou